Cushion construction



May13,1941. f H, HQ'PKES `2,241,551

CUSHIQN CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 9,1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n. .5. .gf 4

INVENTOR. Henry )Va/ies.

May 13, 1941.

gH.HoPKr-:s

CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. VE), 1936 v2 'Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTOR/--A Vm.

A TTOIENEYS.

Patented May 13, 1941 UNITED f STATES PAT Y CUSHION coNsTRUc'rroN .l t iHenry Hopkes, Grosse Pointe, Mich., assignorto No-Sag Spring Company,Detroit, Mich., 'a cori. poration of Michigan f AApplication November 9,1936, serial No. 109,897

2 Claims.

simplified spring cushion construction in which the wire for supportingthe spring elements forms the frame for the cushion; to extend the sideportions of a spring frame to form supports therefor; to provide adownwardly `disposed brace between 'theside portions of the spring frameto brace the sides and form a furthersupport for the frame;y to providea tacking frame to which said frame deflected and supporting portionsare secured; to provide a frame ,having its front portion bentdownwardly to form a support and to provide an unobstructed. front edgefor the springs which span the frame sides; to provi-de a spring surfacehaving the elements closely -disposed to provide small gaps so that athin pad may be 4supported thereon Without `materially projectingtherethrough; and, in general, to provide a seat frame and cushion,which ssimple in construction and A economical of manufacture. f Otherobjectsand features ofnovelty of the invention will become apparent from.the following specification; from the claims hereinafter set forth, andfrom the drawings, in `which like numerals are used in the several viewsto designate like parts, 'and wherein: l

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a. seat,

with parts broken away, illustrating a spring cushion constructionembodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view,`with parts broken away, showing an embodimentof the spring frame construction of the seat illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the spring frame constructionshown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the spring frame construction shownin Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view, taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2,showing the channel in the border wire;

Flgo is an enlarged, sectional View, (taken along the line B-B of Fig.2, illustrating themanner in which the ends of the spring elements areattached to the border wire.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view with parts broken away, showing a furtherform which my invention may assume, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged broken view of a portion of the chair illustratedin Fig. 7.

In Fig. 1, a seat is illustrated comprising a base frame' l0, a borderwire I`2` and a spring surface il interrelated ,to produce my novelspring frame construction. The spring surface i4 is constructed toprovide smallgaps between the wireelements to form a plane surfaceonwhich a thin sponge rubber pad I6 may be supported. `The frame and padmay then be covered bysuitable trim material 18, in a well knownrrianner.` r

In'Figs.` 2` to55, I have illustrated the base frame l0 'asbeing made ofWood strips 20, 22, 24 Aand 26.` The base frame forms the support forthe cushion frame andamedium into which tacks for securing thetrimmaterial, are driven. Other frame known in the `'art' to besuitable, may be utilized in place of 'the frame l0, whichV is shown forthe purpose of illustration. i

`The spring surface `I4 isdisposed lin an arcuate plane spacedfrom thebase 'frame Ill in a. inanner to be later more fully described. `Thesurface is'constructed from a plurality of spring elements 28 of thetype disclosed in the KadenPatent No.

2,002,399, issued Mayf21, 1935 andunder which the applicants assigneeis, an exclusive licensee. Spring elementsof this type are formed bysinuously bending` a suitable spring wire and curving thesinuous.wirelongitudnally offitslength to provide a vset therein on `anarcl materially "less than the arc i-t assumes when employed in a seat.The `ends of the elements are spread and secured in arched position tohave the unsecured portion :between the ends provided with a tension toresist downward displacement. 'Ihe spring surface I4 is formed from a`-plurality lof, like spring elements 28, 29, 30, ,3|v and 32. The springelementsare mounted in spaced parallelrelation to each other crosswiseofthe scatto obtain a soft front edge as will be more fully described.

The spring elements yare connected at their ends to 'the side portions34 and 36 of the border wire l2, which has a channel 31 on its innerside for receiving :the laterally extending end of each of the springelements. The spring elements are secured in place in the border wire bya crimping operation which secures the outer edges of the channel overthe ends of the elements, as indicated at 38 in Fig. 6. The springelements are of such length and are secured in such positions that theywill assume the proper curvature or vbolster for the surface of theseat. The inherent tendency of each of the spring elements is to assumean arc of smaller radius and the elements will thereby offer resistanceto downward displacement. The spring elements are positioned ENT OFFICEi material by suitable screws 48 and 50, respectively. The border wirenot only supports the spring elements but forms the spacing means forthe spring surface I4 and frame II! and when so Vdeflected provides theunobstructed'spring front edgeto the spring surface.

The rear portion 52 of the border wire may be provided with a Z-shapedplate 54 having its -upper projecting portion disposed in the channel Y31 and welded, clinched orotherwise secured therein with the bottomprojecting portion provided with an aperture to receive a securing screw56.V While asingle plate 54 is illustrated, itis to be understood that aplurality could be employed, spaced along the edge of thev border wireI2.'v When the wire is not deflected to provide the soft front edge forthe cushion, the wire maybe entirely supported by the plates.

Additional support may be'provided by a cen- ``trai bracing element 58which is herein illustrated as being similar vin cross section to theborder wire I2. VThe bracing element 58 is bent upwardly at its ends, asindicated at 68 and 10,

to receivewires' 12 andV 14, respectively, of the border wire I2. Straps6I!v and 62, similar to strapsA 44 and 46, secure the bracing element 58to the frame III by suitable screws 64', 66. The

liralfirig element 58'pre'vents the movement of the portions `$4 and 36of the border wire I2 andv aids injjsecurlng ,the wireto the base frame.

j `In Figs. 'Tand 8 I have shown a further form which my'invention mayassume.V In Fig. '1,

l a'chair is illustrated, comprising tubular frame '1I, joined at therear by tubular elements 12.

A cushion 13 is supported by the tubular frame 1I and elements 12,forming a back for the chair.

A seat frame 13 is also supported by the tubular -frame` and elementsand is herein illustrated as Vhaving a front portion 'I4-cut away at 15at its top edge. Joined to the frontportion 14 is a lrearwardly disposedU-shaped portion 16, the extending legs of which form a support for thespring elements 11. The elements 11 are similar to those describedheretofore relative tothe structureillustrated in Figures 1 to 6,inclusive.

The elements 11 have their ends secured by clips k18 tothe extended legsofthe U-shaped seat portion 16. I n view of the cut-away section of theframe portion 15, the spring elements 11 form a soft front edge to theseat which will not bottom. A suitable pad 8| which may be of felt orrubber, as hereinbefore pointed out, is disposed upon the springelements 11 and a suitable trim cover material 82 is disposed over thepad. A very substantial seatis provided in this manner which has a softfront edge and which is very light in weight.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of a springsurface in which all .por-

tions of the spring elements lie in substantially the same plane. Theelements forming the surface are of the ilat sinuous type and provide asupport for a pad in which a maximum contact area is provided. Theclosely adjacent portions of the spring elements make it possible toemploy a very thin sponge rubber pad which was not possible with priorspring constructions since suflicient contact support was not provided.The thin spongerubber pad I6 supported on the spring surface I4 havingits front edge unsupported, provides a very comfortable seat. one whichis relatively inexpensive to manufacture. It is to be understood thatasimilar construction can be employed for forming a back cushion for theseat cushion herein described.

- While I have described andlllustrated but a single embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that formal changes may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and substance of the broadinvention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

I claim as myinvention:

1. A seat embodying a border elemento! U- shape havingportions at theopen end extending downwardly forming supports, spring elements spanningthe 'sides of said border element and retained thereby to form a springsurface having anunobstructed front edge, and a brace extending belowsaid border element and secured to theside portions thereof to providerigidity thereto.

2. A seat embodying a border element of U- shape having portions at theopen end extending downwardly forming supports, spring elements spanningthe sides of said border element and retained thereby to form a springsurface having an unobstructed front edge, a brace extending below saidborder element and secured tothe side portions thereof to lproviderigidity thereto, and a tacking frame to which said downwardlyprojecting portions of the border element and the bracing elementaresecured.

HENRY HOPKES.

